Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-11-04
ROGER LAROQUB.
Adapted and Translated from tho French
Of Jules Mary.
BY OLIVE HARPER.


copyrighted by the American Press Association
"Who, who, Raymond You see l cannot
understand. My poor head is so confused.
Did know herr Was she friend of ours
Of Lucien'sr
1.-THE woman was you, Julia De Noirville,
my mother You'll"
~ hear you But what singular historyi
What romance. Yes, a romance. If it
were not terrible, ! could laugh / do
laugh, ha! hal You hear me laugh, Ray
mond."
$50 you deny itlS
"Why not, since it is not truei This is q
calumny, Raymond, an infamous calumny;
and you believe it, against your mother. You
come here and make scene instead of com
ing to show me this ridiculous affair that we
might both laugh over it. Do you know l
am almost vexed with you, you naughty
boyl"
hid his face.
"And you say nothing, instead of asking
my pardon. You are wicked and migrate
full son, for you have nothing 10 reproach me
with l have been tender and good to you
and have always loved you with four fold
affection, even SO much that l scarcely had
any left for your brother"
$50 you still deny"
"Unhappy child Why should deny such
an atrocieus accusationi l even ought not
listen TO you, but l cannot let you believe SO
horrible a thing"
Raymond took the accusing letter from his
pocket and gave it to her. She tried TO read
it. Then he said coldly:
"Have yen read itl'
sOh, my poor boy, 7, your mother!" Then
she continued wildly: 81 must tell you.
There is no word of that true. 1t was a
mans vengeance, not woman'S. That
man tried TO make me love him
"Who! Laroque?'
"No, the other Luversan."
''You just pretended not to know him!"
II lied, did know him; he avowed his
love; he was violent, brutal, capable of any
thing, and l was afraid of him, but repulsed
him and he kept his word and revenged him
self, as you can see, since your father died
believing me guilty"
"Falsehoods Falsehoodsl Do you think
my father would have believed so base an
accusation, an anonymous one, too, had he
not had other reasons? No, he remembered,
and he was convinced and died without hay
ing been able to curse YOU"
Raymond! what wild Imagination has
taken possession of youa Return to your
mother You are fIightful, with your hol-
rid stories"
"Mothcr, father had written things which
show me that he had suspected"
ait is falsel I tell you, falsel How you
SANDER in accusing your mother. Do you
think Of that, Raymond"
'And that is not all, mother. Do you re-
member the day l showed you photograph,
on the back of which were the dates of Roger
Laroque's arrest and condemnation, and
also the day of LarOuettc's murder and the
oura You told me then "a story which
might have accounted for all that, but that
discovered beyond doubt that that was
Roger Laroques photograph. Oh, you were
well revenged. You pierced the Photograph
even as you pierced the originals h art"
She ineW now she was lost. s.. had even
no strength left to frame new lies, and she
abandoned herself and threw herself upon
the floor, where she writhed in sobs and gasp
ing groans, but no tears came to relieve her.
She crawled to his knees, and gasped: my
son, my son, do not curse me. Pardon me.
You are ON the threshold of life and know
nothing of its passions. ! ayow you were not
deceived. You know the truth, but Oh! DO
not curse me for it. it would be horrible
from you, whom have so loved. o., Ray
mond, my son, see Low | supllicatc you. |
have repented so bitterly. If | could have
undone the past; but | am only u woman,
anu tDultl hOU ucllN CT my sell u 10 JuNilte,
on account Of my children. One must not
demand of mothers more than they can do.
As soon as the crime was done l would will
lngly have died, but loved you SO wei t.iat
huslcd my conscience and hoped that 10y
an austerc and devoted mothers life | might
buy my pardon. But chaatiscmcnt has over
taken me, and alas, by the Land OF my dear
est child.
"What would you have me dor she con-
tinued. Raymond, soon-very soon-I shall
be no longer with you, for l feel nay death
approaching"
"And | only wish to die" said Raymond
"And your arringeY"
"How can you speak Of it nowa How car
Che daughter of Roger the Shameful mate
with the son Of her who condemned him t.
that unmerited shame!r
"Another victim; another enes life upor
my conscience. Oh, God, how manyl La
rouette, Iehrette, Lucion, Suzanne; Roger
too, for he will Ghe Of grief for his child!'
cried she, wringing her hands.
add my name, too, mother, for without
her have no lifen
ooh, Raymond, kill me! Crush me Xix,
some yenemous reptile. XIII me- kill mel"
Ii I-=-7i